“I Still Thought I Could Save Him”: Ludo-narrative Harmony, Polyphony, and Subversive Player Agency in What Remains of Edith Finch

Giant Sparrow’s 2017 game, What Remains of Edith Finch, subverts traditional gaming experiences by focusing on narrative over gameplay mechanics. Unlike players of typical action games where players level up through combat or puzzle solving, Edith Finch invites players to slowly explore the Finch family home and uncover stories behind each family member’s tragic death. The game’s restricted interactions—limited to walking and observing—and the fact that the game’s events that have already occurred in the past cannot be changed by the player force players to feel a sense of powerlessness. Such deliberate limitation fosters a ludo-narrative harmony, immersing players in the Finches stories of fate, inevitability, and inescapable deaths. The game’s objective is not, however, to restrict player agency but to encourage it through careful observation and reflection. As the player navigates the house, they encounter a polyphony of voices, each revealing different facets of the family’s tragic history. The jumble of voices that, at times, clash and contradict each other, challenge the notion of the “Finch curse” as the sole explanation for the deaths. By engaging with these varied voices, players can piece together their own understanding of the Finch family’s tragic history. Such an understanding does not undo the deaths, but can influence the future of the last Finch, Christopher, whom the player embodies in the outer frame of Edith Finch. It is through such interpretive action, not button mashing, that players of Edith Finch reclaim agency.